


Normal or Not?

by AddyEZ



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Asexual, Coming Out, Crying, Davey Gets Mad and Yells, Davey is AroAce, F/M, Finch Centric, Finch is Biromantic Asexusl, Gen, I Projected on Finch, M/M, Mush Specs and Buttons are Straight, Name Calling, Race and Skittery are Gay, Romeo and Jack are Bi, Self-Hatred, Unintentional aphobia, anxiety attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AddyEZ/pseuds/AddyEZ
Summary: Finch doesn’t know why he doesn’t have any interest in sex. He’s just not normal like that. But when the newsies start to pry and make assumptions, it gets to be too much.





	Normal or Not?

**Author's Note:**

> So. It’s midnight and I’m nowhere near falling asleep. This fic is kinda me projecting on Finch/me coming out to AO3. I’m heteromantic asexual (UPDATE: I’m panromantic asexual because there’s no way to not have feelings for girls lol and why should anyone else be left out? Lol). Barely anyone knows and it’s really hard some days when I feal not normal and weird and icky yet there’s no one there to vent to. Thanks to the fandom and theatre community, I was introduced to asexuality and homosexuality. I had been homophobic because my parents implanted those beliefs on me, but Newsies fanfiction has changed that so thanks to all you writers out there!  
> Enough of my sob story, please enjoy this fic!!!

Finch hates it. He really really hates it.

Every so often, after the younger newsies had gone to bed, the teenagers would sit around the table in the Lodging House, pass around a bottle of beer and stay up late playing cards. Finch was fine with that part, but the conversation was what got him. 

It started out fine, jokes about people they saw selling, complaints about the headlines, upcoming events. Finch enjoyed that, enjoyed hanging out with his friends.

But the conversation always turned. It turned to the pretty girls or strong guys they had seen. The last girl they’d kissed or the last guy they gave a blowjob to. 

And it made Finch so uncomfortable. He didn’t see the appeal in boobs, couldn’t imagine wanting to touch someone’s penis. Just… no.

He would try to leave, but someone would always tease him, make him stay. 

As Mush finished telling his latest tale with a pretty girl he saw selling, Romeo turned to Finch. “Well, Finch,” he nudged him playfully. “You’re always quiet. When was the last time you got laid?”

Finch squirmed away from Romeo. “I’se ain’t ever gotten laid.” 

Gasps went around the table. Even Davey’s eyebrows drew close together in concern. Jack leaned forward, intrigued.

“That’s bull!” Race practically yelled. “Why, a man would’ve exploded by now!”

“Ease up, Race,” Jack propped his feet up, making Race reach to pull the cards out of the way. “Finch can get laid whenever he wants.”

“But I  _ don’t  _ want it,” Finch took another swig from the bottle. His head was starting to feel loopy, he was talking too freely,  _ crap _ , he drank too much. “I’se don’t want any of that.”

Skittery lightly punch Finch in the shoulder. “Ah, don’t worry, you’s probably just a late bloomer. It’ll come.”

“Finch is plenty old enough,” Buttons argued. “And he knows that we’re completely cool with gay people, there’s no need to repress it. Could it be something weird with the h things Dave mentioned the other day?”

“Hormones?” Davey said dryly. He looked deep in thought, yet thoroughly unimpressed with the conversation.

“Yeah!” Buttons yelled, but before he could continue talking Specs butted in.

“Relax, he’s just waiting for the right person. Right?”

“I bet I could cure him of that attitude!” Romeo boasted confidently. 

The room erupted with newsies clamoring to find a reason why Finch wouldn’t want sex.

“It’s a phase-”

“Abuse-”

“Gay-”

“Repressed-”

“Too Christian-”

“Afraid-”

“Immature-”

“Lying-”

“Prude-”

“Interested in something else?”

“Attention-”

“Denial-”

“Selfish-”

Tears pricked the corners of Finch’s eyes as he lowered his head to the table. He just didn’t want it! He didn’t have a word for it but he just didn’t-

“Enough!”

Everyone fell silent as they looked at Davey. Davey  _ never _ raised his voice.

Davey was standing, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, giving the newsies a look of disgust. “Would you stop arguing over something you don’t understand?” he said quietly, now that he had their attention. “Look at what you’re doing to Finch.”

They all glanced at Finch, who was definitely crying now. His shoulders shook as he tried to keep it quiet but he couldn’t. He didn’t know what he was, or what was wrong with him, and he wanted to be normal but he just  _ wasn’t  _ and he  _ hated it _ … 

A hand rested gently on his back and it helped him stand and gently lead him out of the room. He didn’t even look at who was with him, he was just  _ tired _ and  _ why couldn’t he be normal _ \- 

“Finch? Breathe with me, you gotta calm down.” Davey was talking to him, giving him breathing exercises. Eventually, he was calm enough to look at his surroundings.

Him and Davey were sitting on the front steps of the Lodging House. The streets were quiet, but the sky was cloudy. Davey was close enough for Finch to feel his presence, but yet he wasn’t touching. 

Davey sighed as he stared at some point in the distance. “Feeling a little better, Finch?” he asked absentmindedly, as if his mind was preoccupied with something else. 

“I guess,” Finch replied roughly. “I’m feeling wiped out though.”

Davey chuckled. “I’d be too.”

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Davey blurted out, “Have you ever heard of asexuality?”

Finch gave him a weird look. “No? I mean, I know all the other ones. Mush, Specs and Buttons are heterosexual, Racetrack and Skittery are homosexual, Romeo and Jack are bisexual… but I ain’t ever heard of asexual before.” 

Davey nodded. “Yeah, not many people have. The definition of heterosexual would be being sexually  attracted to the opposite gender, homosexual would be the same gender, but asexuality is being attracted to no one that way. It’s a spectrum, it can range from wanting to have sex to being completely disinterested…”

Finch’s head jerked up. “I could be asexual?” His voice was full of hope, hope that there could finally be a  _ word _ for him.

“Yeah,” Davey said. “It’s abbreviated to being ace, but yeah.”

“But… I still wanna marry someone. I dunno if I want ta be with a guy or a goil, but I wanna marry.” Finch pursed his lips.

“That’s romantic orientation, it's different. You can be romantically attracted to no one, that’s aromantic, or to the opposite gender, heteroromantic, or to both genders, biromantic. You can be any combination of romantic and sexual attraction you want.”

Finch was silent for a long time before he looked up at the sky and laughed. “I’m biromantic asexual.”

Davey laughed and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it sounds like you are.”

Finch turned to Davey. “How do you know so much about this?” he asked.

“I’m aromantic asexual,” Davey shrugged. “Kinda hard not to know about your own orientation.”

Without warning, Finch turned and hugged Davey. “Thank you,” he whispered.

 

The next morning, all the boys apologized to Finch. Finch was still a little hurt, but he explained it the best he could to the boys and once they understood it was an orientation, they became strong supporters.

And Finch took great pride in sneaking up onto Jack’s penthouse and screaming, “I’m asexual!” for all of New York to hear… 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed. Asexuality is a spectrum, including gray aces and demisexuals. Please, if you have any questions about asexuality, you can message me on Tumblr at addyez or do research yourself online. AVEN is a great resource!  
> No matter what orientation you are, God loves you and happy pride!!!!!!!!! Please leave reviews and kudos, especially if your ace.


End file.
